Have you had a chance to check out AFV Club’s zimmerit applicator yet? Not out state side yet (I am assuming it is out in Japan since their Tiger Late is), but I was wondering what the advantage was of buying it versus making my own with a small gear.
I haven’t seen it out here yet , but then again, I haven’t looked for it.
I’d say the only real advantage of buying it is that you wouldn’t have to make your own with a small gear!
That’s essentially all it is.
Some guys in my club here have been doing just that for years and years.
Thanks. Do they like that method? I have no zimm tools and probably will be either buying them or making them, so I am just testing the waters to see. Trying to decide between the wheel and the Tamiya tool for my Tiger P and elefant
The guys that use the gear method love it, and certainly get some stunningly realistic results.
I’ve never attempted zimmerit, but when (if) I do, I’ll use the Tamiya zim tool and Polyester Putty. Just seems the easier way to get realistic results. You don’t have to worry about the thickness of your zim medium, as you’re scraping it to thickness as you make the pattern with the tool.
With the gear method, you’ll need to apply the exact thickness of putty or whatever (the medium) and then roll. If it’s too thick, it’d get all squishy (that’s the technical term, by the way). Thus, the gear roller method probably requires a bit more planning and precision than the “scraper” zim tool method.
Plus, I think it’d be easier to “scrape” around details (as the Germans had to do ) than it would be to “roll” around them.
Just my hypothetical take on zimming! It might be a good idea to hear from some folks who may have actually tried both methods!
precision and planning are not my strong points!! Good to know about the gear. I may make one, as I might have to zim only a tool box on the Elefant (I cheated with AM zimm on the rest, but they didn’t bother to include the tool box). Can’t be very expensive, just a matter of finding the gear.
Jason, the thing to remember is, that since the wheel impresses the pattern, you need a non-goopy (another technical term) putty. When I tried it with Squadron Green (for instance) it did nothing but make a big mess.
btw, I made my own roller tool per the instructions in the 6 ways to zimmerit FSM article. I used a wire coathanger, cut it up and bent a handle out of it. I probably wasn’t careful enough, but the gear didn’t roll too well. It would hang up and just slide down the putty. Not at all the effect for which I was looking! I really think the method would work better with one of the 2 part epoxy putties.
I was wondering about the whole rolling issue and if it would spin freely or hang up. Maybe that is where AFV club made an improvement? I use the part epoxy. Molds nice and makes me feel dizzy. Smells like when I used to melt plastic army men